Dear Diary,

I have come to the conclusion that my mother is the biggest bitch to walk the Boiling Isles.

Have I come to this conclusion before? Yes, quite a few times. But last night just put the nail into the coffin of just how much of a bitch she truly is.

It started last week when Mom made me demonstrate the skills of her and dad's new Abomitons for their group of investors, the ones who oddly always show up in cloaks. (And we both know there's absolutely nothing weird about that whatsoever!)

Mom always tells Dad to make these things do the weirdest stuff, usually at my expense. They made it pour scalding hot tea all over my hand, and had it make me look like a six-year-old witchlet's definition of "pretty". I had makeup smeared all over my face, and my hair looked like a dire rat's nest. I looked like a fool up there for Titan's sake!

Anyways, it was about to be the last demonstration of the night, showing off how it was supposed to defend its owner from "unwanted visitors". Which translates to it flinging attacks at me until I decide to play dead, shutting it down.

Why am I always the one to help demonstrate new products? I know my abomination skills probably look good in tandem with whatever Mom and Dad want to promote, but wouldn't the twins' illusion skills make for a better show? And am I the only one that thinks it's crazy to let a fourteen-year-old be a living test dummy?

Just before we were set to fight, Mom dropped in on my gem, telling me that I better give the investors a good show because of my so-called "lackluster performance" at school.

How lackluster you may ask? A B+ on a pop quiz. On something I had just started reviewing while I was out on bedrest. It wasn't my fault that I wasn't there to learn about it, and I didn't think the class would get farther than I would have while studying on my own. And with my grades, a B+ wouldn't hit my average that hard. Can't they just let me slip up just once, then move on about it? It's not like I'm a fan of the grade either!

The Abomiton and I squared up, ready to "tussle" for our audience. I dodged its first attacks, and even let it grab me. I feigned some fear, saying it was undefeatable. The crowd seemed to buy it, given their cheers for our immaculate acting.

I was figuring out how to fake a realistic enough escape when the Grom photo I took with Luz, Willow, and Gus slipped out of my dress. It's the only remnant of a happy time that I've had with them, there was absolutely no way I was gonna let the Abomiton ruin it.

So, I, perhaps, just maybe, may have ruined the demo a tad.

It's not like the Abomiton had to remain split in half, we all know they can regenerate back into their prior form after an attack. It only did it because it actually needed to work in that moment.

Mom had to play clean-up with her investors, telling them through a chorus of boos and jeers that that night's demo was only showing off a beta version, and promising them that the "final" version would be showed off this week.

After everyone left, I heard her yelling at me, but I didn't bother to respond. I was focused on making sure that the picture of people who have made me the happiest was okay. When she finally got through to me, she told me to clean up the mess I had caused, then to meet them to go home.

The morning after the Abomiton mess, I found some free time in my schedule, and decided to bake myself a treat as a reward for the hard work I've been putting in this term. I headed out to the market, thinking about what I wanted to buy. As I was mindlessly looking through the stands, I ran into Luz, who was grabbing a few supplies for Eda. I asked her how she had been doing since everything that happened with the Emperor's Coven, and she asked me how my foot was doing after she noticed my cast was off. We caught up for a while, but she had to go back to the Owl House to help Eda and Lilith learn about her glyphs. It still feels so weird to think about Miss Lilith being without her powers, she was one of my biggest inspirations when I wanted to join the Emperor's Coven.

After we split up, it hit me that Luz had probably never had a fairy pie, one of the biggest delicacies on the Isles! I had Em send me a recipe for the one that has been running through the family for generations, grabbed the freshest ingredients I could find, and headed back to the manor, determined to bake the tastiest pie Luz had ever eaten.

The twins caught me baking, and asked if they could each grab a slice when the pie was done. I told them no a little too quickly before I caught myself and told them that the pie was for a friend. They glanced at each other, and I think caught them smirking as they turned and left the kitchen, saying nothing more than an okay.

Diary, I need you to be 100% honest with me here: am I hiding this whole crush thing well?

Yesterday, the twins and I walked to school as usual, though I was a little more careful, as I had Luz's pie tucked into my bag. The closer I got to campus the more nervous I got. It was supposed to be a simple gesture, but the bloodyflies were swarming around in my stomach. That anxiety soon morphed into confusion, as I saw Mom and Dad parking their abomicarriage and walking into the building. I called out to Mom, and asked her why she and dad were there. She said that they had some "PCA matters" to talk with Principal Bump about. She seemed a little off guard when I approached her, and it looked like she had to find her words. I didn't think much of anything about her reaction, but I found it weird that they were there since PCA matters were usually handled at the evening meetings, but I figured it had to be something important.

After another round of goodbyes I watched my parents quickly walk into the school, and Ed and Em went off with their friends, leaving me alone and nervous to high Titan about giving Luz the pie. Upon a quick check of my watch, I saw I had about ten minutes until the first bell screamed, so I had a small window to give her the pie before classes started for the day. I shook off the last of my fears and walked in, finding her with Willow and Gus. I greeted them, and sheepishly handed Luz the pie, saying it was my welcome back gift to her.

I heard her say it looked good, but all I could do was stand there idly. I felt my cheeks run hot, and I couldn't even look at her while giving it to her. I was soon snapped back to reality by the loudscreamer going off, with a familiar voice prevailing over Bump's objections.

Imagine my surprise when I heard Luz, Willow, Gus, and I's names being announced by my mom for the entire school to hear. I instantly knew it was her, I felt venom dripping off every word.

Timidly, we all made our way into Principal Bump's office, where we were greeted by him and my parents. Mom looked pissed and Dad looked like he wanted to be literally anywhere else, as per usual. We all silently took a seat, not knowing where this would go. I was so mad that I couldn't bear to look either of my parents in the eye. I caught a look of everyone else out of the corner of my eye, we were all sitting in various states of emotion. Gus looked as if he was about to admit all his life's misdeeds, Luz stared blankly at my parents, and Willow (justifiably) couldn't even look up at them. I think it was probably the first time she had been in the same room as them since the birthday party...

Mom started spouting off about all the "harm" that we were bringing to the school. She thought that Luz sneaking in as Willow's abomination was a threat, but, with no offense to her, Luz was powerless at that point. The worst she could have done then was maybe land a punch on someone, or cause someone to lose their top student star. (I swear it doesn't mean that much to me anymore, it's just how the day played out.) Then, she said that detention getting destroyed was bad too, but from what I've heard, detention messes with people's heads. I'd say that they helped the overall mental health of our student body by destroying it. The only one she got semi-right was when Grom got loose, but she knows that Luz and I defeated it together. What was the harm in giving the Isles a bit of a show before we did it? In reality, Grom was mainly my fault anyways, since I was too scared to fight it. Luz only became involved when she stepped up to be my fearless champion, but I didn't stop her until we were on the cliff.

After her rant, Dad announced that, under the PCA's decision, Luz, Willow, and Gus were bad influences and would be executed. You could hear a pin drop before he quickly corrected himself and said they would, in fact, be expelled.

I finally looked up to them, rage coursing through my body. Mom cued in on her gem, telling me to "take this as a lesson" on how I need to keep up my end of a deal. When I realized what she meant, all I could do was slink back into my seat.

I looked to Bump to see if he could do anything to fix this, but he said that he had no choice in the matter. UM, YES YOU DID BUMP! IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE THE HEAD OF THE DAMN SCHOOL!

But I guess when my parents get involved, they can never take no as an answer...

Luz yelled to object and tried to look to me for help. As if I could do actually do anything to go against my parents. I felt my mom's eyes searing into my body. All I could do was sit there in silence, not being able to meet Luz's eye for a vastly different reason. I felt so defeated not being able to help her, to help them . Even though I haven't been friends with some of them for very long, the three of them are some of the best influences in my life, regardless of what my parents say.

In lieu of an expulsion, Mom made Bump enroll me into extra classes, as if those one-day incidents each took away a whole term of progress. She then tried to gaslight me for not being in class, as if she wasn't the one who personally called us into the meeting.

I was about to head to class when some school guards barged into the office, ready to drag my friends out of the building. Mom held me back to discuss my new schedule, and to make me watch my friends leave with fear of the unknown in their eyes.

When I was finally dismissed from the office, I had an advanced abomination sentience class and two and a half hours of after-school tutoring added onto my schedule, getting rid of my study hall and a good chunk of my free time after the bell screamed. As if I actually needed any of this! I walked into class late, gave my teacher the note from Bump, and just sat down. No focus, no notes, no nothing. I knew I was caught up in this class, so I just stared into the void ahead of me. I assume my teacher knew something was up, she left me alone the entire rest of the class period.

Later in the day, I was heading to my new class when I found Luz standing alone outside. I couldn't even think of talking to her, so I tried to silently sneak behind her. But of course, I had to drop my books like a complete fool, grabbing her attention in the process.

When she came over, I apologized, telling her how much of a coward I was for not sticking up for her and our friends. I started to tell her how Mom knows exactly how to get what she wants, but Luz said that it was okay. She knew that I was scared to cross Mom, but that she wasn't scared to face her by herself. She told me about some sort of deal that Mom proposed to her.

If there's one person that you never take a deal at face value with, it is Odalia Blight.

I told her that she didn't have to meet with my mom, to fight for me, Willow, and Gus again. But she insisted, getting down on one knee after picking up my books and asking me if I would help her appeal to her. I could have melted with the way she looked me in the eye, with hers filled with determination to try to make things right. But, I had to leave her. Titan, it was so painful to do that.

I went on with the rest of my day, but it just felt so quiet. I had no one cracking jokes or raving about Azura, and no one to keep us in line. I opted to read outside during lunch, I didn't feel like sitting around so many other people. I also didn't want to have to answer everyone's questions as to where Luz, Willow, and Gus were, since everyone knew we were together that morning. The only upside to my day at that point was that I got a question right in my new class, despite it being my first day. After school, I headed to the library to sit through the tutoring session Mom signed me up for. When I got there, I reviewed what I was learning with the tutor, and ended up getting everything they asked me right. They said that there was no reason for me to be with them, but they were paid in advance. So together we sat, until I finished my homework in about forty-five minutes, and they let me head to my study to read for the remainder of our session, making a deal to not let Mom know that I was on my own for most of the time.

I arrived to an empty home, which isn't completely out of the ordinary, looking for Mom so we could go to tonight's investor showcase. I was greeted by a cat-faced Abomibutler and a note that read "We found a replacement! ~Mom"

Why is Luz like this? It's so sweet that she acts so boldly, especially when it's to help her friends. But damn, does she do it without knowing the true consequences a lot.

And oh my Titan that BITCH! This was between me and her, how can she derive pleasure from hurting others to hurt me ? To hurt anyone, for that matter.

When I realized how screwed Luz truly was, I tried to call Willow to get her to come help me save Luz from my parents. She didn't answer her scroll, so I assumed her dads probably confiscated it from her. Luckily, I got through to Gus, who was rightfully hesitant of me calling him. But once I filled him in on what was going on, he was completely on board, and he told me to meet him at Willow's house. Fortunately, Willow hasn't moved since we were forced apart, so the muscle memory of running to her house kicked in and got me there in a few minutes. Gus arrived shortly after, saying that he was unable to get ahold of her either. He projected an illusion into her bedroom to get her attention, and we soon saw her leaning out the window. I told her Luz was in trouble, and she somehow managed to break free of her dads and ran out to join us.

I led them to my parent's factory, where we plotted our way in. A few ideas were thrown around, but it ultimately took the twins, who were acting as security, to ultimately give us the most obvious option of sneaking in wearing the cloaks that everybody else was wearing. They decided to try and pull a prank on us, as older siblings do, but I shot them a lethal "do not mess with us right now" look to them before heading in with the others.

When we got in, we were greeted by a roaring crowd enthralled with Luz running around the stage, trying her hardest to not get impaled by an abomination armed with a crossbow. Luckily, she called it off right before it was about to shoot. We apparently showed up just in time for the grand finale, as the Abomiton 2.0 rose from underneath the stage. I immediately booked it up the ladder that led to the catwalk, I planned to try to disarm it with something from up there. I know Luz is strong, but fighting something as unstable as that is next to impossible, even for someone like me who has been doing it for years.

From the ladder, I heard her pleading with my mom to make it stop, but she said something along the lines of enemies having to be completely eliminated. That just made me climb faster, I couldn't risk anything else happening to her. Suddenly, I felt the ladder shake, and I heard a commotion followed by an explosion from the support beams behind me. I got to the top with spells at the ready, and commanded the hunk of goop that was ready to slash to stay away from my Luz.

Diary, I have no clue where the "my" came from in that, but man did I feel like a badass while saying that.

I quickly slid down the rope that was hanging over the stage, instantly hearing my mom cueing in on her gem as I hit the ground. Titan, I've always hated that necklace. It was a reminder that she can always be lurking over my shoulder somehow, even if I'm miles away from her. That she could just grab me and mold me to her will at any second.

Well, I decided I was done with that.

I ripped the pendant off my chest and crushed it in the palm of my hand, right in front of her face. I then turned to Luz and asked if she was okay, to which she gave me a quiet "uh-huh".

Call me crazy, but I think I saw Luz blushing at me. Maybe it was a heat of the moment thing, but I swear I saw some color on her cheeks and a look in her eye that I don't think I've ever seen on her before. Does this mean that she just might like me back?

Luz called for me to watch out, as the abomination was gearing up to attack. I tried out a move that I had glanced over in the textbook for my new class, and it held it back from hurting us. Mom started yelling for me to get away from Luz, and I kinda snapped on her. I told her that Luz, Willow, and Gus are my friends, that they're nice and listen to ech other. I told her that they make me think about the kind of person I really want to be, and that it's everything that she's not.

Okay, maybe I didn't say that last part, but I definitely thought it.

I slammed the Abomiton onto the ground, and Luz got up to help me fight it. We were ready to attack from wherever it may have wanted to hit us from. We ended up catching each other's glances, but I quickly turned away, feeling my face go crimson for probably the millionth time that day.

Mom tried to find my weak spot, but I told her that I would rip the bot apart bit by bit if she didn't let my friends back in. In order to save face with her investors, she agreed to our deal. So, I relaxed my control on the Abomiton and pulled Luz to the ground, whispering for her to play dead as a giant purple hammer came down around us. When the bot retracted, we made sure we were okay, then went back to playing dead. The crowd seemed to buy it, as they erupted into applause.

I heard feet running towards us, and I braced myself thinking it was my parents coming over to start something. I peeked an eye open and saw that it was Willow and Gus coming to make sure we were okay. They helped us out of the hole the bot created, and we walked out of the factory. We walked to go grab some ice cream, it was more than deserved after the day we all had. Luz ended up having to go a little earlier than everyone else, so I ended up being able to walk Willow and Gus home, where I explained an abridged version of the day's events to their dads, apologizing for my parents and telling them that their kids could return to school the next day. They all said that they understood, they each knew my mother somehow when they were younger, it seems like she didn't mature much since then. Willow's dads even said it was good to see me again, so I think we're getting on better terms again.

When I finally got home, Ed and Em were asleep, but they had a sandwich waiting in the fridge for me, with a note saying that I did good tonight. I smiled as I finally ate dinner, that fight took so much out of me. I went into my room and caught a look at myself in the mirror. I had more than a few bruises and scratches from the evening's activities, but nothing that a few healing patches couldn't fix. I knocked out, and the night became history.

If I had a word to sum up yesterday, it would be defeat. While I, along with my friends, felt it a lot throughout the day, we ultimately used it to put my mom in her place.

And I see that as an absolute win. (Luz taught me that, I think I'm using it right!)

Reigning victorious,
Amity